There are several difficulties associated with traveling with golf clubs and other types of sporting equipment, particularly when traveling by airplane. Given the size of a golf bag carrying golf clubs, a golf bag is generally checked as baggage at the airport and is not in the owner's possession during much of travel. A large duffel bag or other soft bag can be used to carry and store the golf bag as luggage during travel. However, such bags are exposed to strikes or blows during transport, such as, for example, if another item of luggage falls on top of the golf bag in the airport or in the baggage compartment of the plane. This can cause damage to the golf clubs in the golf bag, which have narrow shafts that can be prone to bending or breaking if a force is applied to the shaft. In addition to the inconvenience and the potential expense for replacing a broken golf club, if a golf club is broken or bent during air travel to a destination where the golf clubs are to be used, it may not be possible to replace or repair the club at the destination.
In view of these problems, rigid carrying cases are available for golf clubs, which are large enough to fit a golf bag including clubs and sufficiently solid and durable so as to protect the clubs from damage, such as if the carrying case is struck by another piece of luggage. However, these carrying cases are quite large and bulky, meaning that for many consumers, the carrying case cannot fit in their cars to transport the case and golf clubs, and the case is inconvenient to travel with.
There is therefore a need in the art for a device that can allow a traveler to adequately protect golf clubs or other equipment from damage during travel while avoiding the need to transport an excessively large or unwieldy case.